Hello! Thanks for reading my story! I'd like to thank Havoc-legionnaire, Kurlan Aank, Funguy2015, Ajaton123, and Evolution for your comments! I hope you enjoy this update as well! Revan has once again embraced the Dark Side, and killed his Jedi allies. Bastila in tow, Revan returned to the Ebon Hawk, and gave what remained of his crew the choice to serve him. While the droids' loyalty was a given, and Canderous declared his desire to remain fighting alongside Revan, Carth and Mission chose to defy him. Revan rendered Carth unconscious, and set Mission at ease, assuring her of his supposed good intentions.
Now, the reborn Dark Lord heads once more into battle, using the Republic fleet as a distraction to infiltrate the Starforge and face his former apprentice, Darth Malak. The battle of the Dark Lords will decide the fate of the galaxy; will Darth Malak's ruthless reign continue? Or will Revan's new vision take shape?
Darth Revan sits, hunched forward, watching the scene unfolding before him as the Ebon Hawk races past Rakata Prime's outer atmosphere. In the distance, Republic and Sith Empire warships clash in a magnificent display of firepower. Starfighters on both sides of the raging battle dodge and weave between the larger vessels and bursts of turbolaser fire, picking each other off in droves. Several Republic blockade runners attempt to push forward, but an Interdictor Cruiser above them rains down a torrent of turbolasers, annihilating two of the ships. Revan can't help but find it to be almost artistic; a dance of life and death, desperation and beliefs crashing against one another, showering the emptiness of space with a dazzling example of sentient strife.
"There." Revan points out to the pilot, Canderous. "There's a gap in the Sith armada defenses."
"Got it." Canderous replies. He presses the controls forward, gaining speed, heading straight for the space between two Interdictors. The ship suddenly kicks to the side, almost throwing Revan from his seat. "Karking... We've got company! You guys get on those guns and keep those fighters off me, or this is gonna be a short ride!"
Without a word, Revan stands and rushes out of the cockpit, followed closely by Bastila. Revan climbs up a short ladder to the upper laser cannon turret, while Bastila sits at the controls to the smaller laser turret. The ship bucks again as Revan powers up the guns, but he settles into the tight space, activating the sensors, and begins taking shots at approaching Sith fighters.
"Ebon Hawk, this is Arden Korr." came a voice through the comm. "I'm leading the Jedi Strike Team accompanying you on the Starforge. We'll keep those fighters off you, you focus on the infiltration! We'll be right behind you!"
"We read you, Korr." Bastila replies, using a false sigh of relief. "May the Force be with you."
As the Ebon Hawk rockets past the line of Interdictor Cruisers, several Republic Aurek starfighters fall into formation around and behind the freighter. Several fighters break off to intercept the Sith starfighters, clearing a path for the freighter straight to the Starforge. Sensing the worst of the battle being behind them, Revan powers down the turret and climbs down the ladder, returning to the cockpit. He steps up behind Canderous, gripping the back of the pilot's seat with his left hand.
"Would you look at that..." Canderous says in an awed tone, staring at the enormous structure as they draw closer. "So that's the Starforge... it's gigantic...!"
"Is there an open hanger we can land in?" Revan asks, also staring at the imposing construct.
Canderous looks down at the scanners, pressing a switch several times.
"Yeah, there's a few." Canderous replies evenly. "Looks like that one's the closest. Hold on tight!"
Pushing the controls forward as far as they could go, the Ebon Hawk rockets towards the massive station, swerving and ducking past laserfire from the defensing cannons. The Mandalorian slows the ship down only to avoid crashing the ship within the hanger, and settles it down roughly. Revan heads for the boarding ramp as Canderous jumps out of his seat, hoisting up his repeating carbine over his shoulder. Revan adjusts his black robes and ensures that his lightsaber is secure on his belt before opening the ramp.
"Bastila, Canderous, with me. HK, Zalbaar, you two stay here and guard the ship." Revan orders as the boarding ramp hisses open. He offers Mission a curt nod. "You stay with T-3 in the Infirmary. Make sure Carth doesn't do anything stupid."
"O-okay." Mission replies tentatively, hurrying away.
Revan sets his jaw, and the three step down the ramp, and walk briskly across the hanger. To his surprise, several Jedi seem to be waiting for them. Revan gives Bastila a sideways glance, and Canderous grunts acknowledgingly. One of the Jedi steps forward as they approach.
"Thank the Force, you made it!" the prim looking woman says as they stop a few yards away. "Several other Jedi have already gone ahead; we have to strike now, while we still have the element of surprise!"
"We have to find Malak quickly," a male Twi'lek Jedi adds urgently. "Even if the Republic fleet is victorious, none of it will matter if the Dark Lord escapes..."
"Agreed, come with us, before..." the woman starts. She stops talking as the sound of a large door opening echoes through the hanger. Revan casts his gaze behind the Jedi as the woman and her Jedi team spin around at the sound. Nonchalantly, a tall, bald human surrounded by hooded Dark Jedi enters the hanger. His pale skin and sunken eyes make him look almost ill as he glares at the Jedi before him. The woman grabs her lightsaber and turns to Revan. "We'll deal with these Sith, you go ahead and find Malak!"
The tall Sith points wordlessly at the Jedi, and the Dark Jedi surrounding him sprint at their foes. The team of Jedi run to meet them, and the hanger is filled with the sounds of humming lightsabers clashing in rapid succession. Revan grabs his own lightsaber and activates it, causing the violet blade to jump to life with a loud SNAP-HISS.
One of the hooded Dark Jedi leaps over the fighting, landing squarely in front of Revan, who offers the darksider only a mildly interested look. Unconcerned, the Dark Jedi rushes at Revan; who effortlessly bats away the Dark Jedi's reckless slash at his left hip. Revan takes one wide swipe with his own saber, battering through the Dark Jedi's defense, and raises his free hand to seize the darksider with the Force. Revan wrenches his hand backward, drawing the Dark Jedi to him fast, and plunges the energy blade through the latter's stomach.
Bastila also joins the fray, cutting down her own challenger with relative ease. Revan gives Canderous a look, and the Mandalorian nods in understanding. Canderous opens a small satchel on his belt and takes out a small, circular object. Grinning, Canderous pushes up on a button with his thumb, and throws the object right into the center of the Jedi and Dark Jedi. The object rolls and taps against the Twi'lek Jedi's foot; who looks down just in time to see the ball detonate.
Screams of surprise and pain are drowned out by the horrific explosion, spewing flames in all directions. Revan and Bastila hold up their hands, forming an invisible barrier with the Force, sparing them from the blast. The flames quickly die out, and Bastila shoots Canderous a furious look.
"You fool!" she growls. "Did you really have to throw a thermal detonator?!"
"When you want a job done right, you don't hold back." Canderous shrugs, standing behind the two. "We don't have time to waste, right?"
Revan smirks while Bastila scowls at the Mandalorian. She turns, and sees that the tall Sith is still standing in the doorway, observing the torched, and some partially incinerated, corpses of Jedi and Dark Jedi strewn about the floor. Revan starts toward the Sith, who grabs and activates a dual-bladed lightsaber, standing defiantly and staring at Revan.
"Take me to Malak, or get out of my way." Revan tells the Sith, his voice heavy in the air.
"Or I can kill you now, and be rewarded for my service to the Dark Lord." the Sith scoffs.
"I am the Dark Lord." Revan retorts, his voice venomous.
"You were the Dark Lord." the Sith barks back. "Lord Malak rules the Sith now, Revan, not you!"
"Not for much longer." Revan replies flatly, raising his lightsaber with his right hand, pointing the end towards the Sith impeding his path.
"Such arrogance." the Sith sneers. He tilts his head, looking at Bastila. "Lord Malak had such high hopes for you. And yet you squander your chance to learn at the heel of the Dark Lord, by joining with a relic."
"You are a fool." Bastila spits back. "You follow a man who didn't even have the courage to face Lord Revan in combat."
"Lord Malak does as he sees fit. And it seems to have worked for him thus far." the Sith scoffs. "But enough idle chat; I am more than capable of defeating a Mandalorian, a fallen Jedi, and the husk of a former Dark Lord."
Without another word, Revan throws himself at his opponent, spiraling through the air, landing within arm's length of the latter. The two engage in a flurry of strikes so fast as to be a blur of purple and crimson. Revan presses the Sith, taking a step forward with every other slash, forcing the Sith to surrender more and more ground. Revan brings his lightsaber up high, and the Sith raises his saberstaff to neck height, ready to block the incoming slash. In that instant, Revan's left hand shoots forward, fingers curled like talons, and arcs of violet lightning erupt from his fingertips, crashing into the surprised Sith's chest. The sheer force of the blast of Dark Side energies sears his victim's clothes and flesh, hurling the Sith backwards.
The dark warrior crashes hard against the platform steps, expelling haggard breath from his tortured lungs. Revan steps casually, slowly, towards the Sith, cocking his head to the right, staring at the Sith with mild contempt. The Sith's glowing amber eyes glare at the former as he struggles back to his feet, to Revan's slight surprise.
"Still alive, then?" Revan asks in a mock stunned tone, "I suppose I should have put a little more effort into it."
The Sith's upper lip curls, his eyes burning with hatred for the man standing smugly before him. With a gutteral, almost animal roar, the Sith lunges at Revan. Revan only barely pulls his head back in time to avoid decapitation, now genuinely surprised by his opponent's speed. He grips his lightsaber with both hands, and falls into his defense, parrying blow after frenzied blow.
"Yes, that's better!" Revan mocks the Sith, using his lightsaber to slap away a slash aimed at his right hip. "Your anger gives you strength, your hate fuels your power!"
In a sudden move, Revan lashes out with his right foot, catching the Sith's right kneecap. The surprise move yielded success, as the Sith's joint gives way with a loud, sickening CRACK, followed fast by the Sith's shocked yelp of agony. Capitalizing, Revan knocks the saberstaff from the Sith's weakened grip, and seizes him by the throat with the Force. The Sith claws helplessly at his collar, struggling to free himself from the phantom hand of the Force. Revan yanks his free hand back, pulling the injured warrior through the air, and impales the Sith on the end of his awaiting lightsaber. Revan grabs the Sith's jaw, staring into his victim's eyes.
"You could have served me." Revan whispers icily. "But you are not worthy of the honor. None who follow Malak shall live past this day."
"Heh... heh heh... Lord... Malak will... destroy you..." the Sith gloats as his eyes begin to glaze over. Revan watches the Sith's eyes lose their light, and only once he felt the insignificant light blink out in the Force, does he deactivate his lightsaber and allow the lifeless Sith to slump unceremoniously to the floor.
"I rather doubt that." Revan mutters, more to himself than to the dead Sith.
Much to the reborn Dark Lord's chagrin, the Starforge was positively crawling with Dark Jedi and Sith troopers. Almost every hall, around every corner, the fools threw themselves into the trio's path. As Revan runs his lightsaber horizontally through the chest of yet another fallen Jedi, he wonders how many more would have to die before they would stand down and just let him pass? Was their loyalty to that fool, Darth Malak, truly so strong? Finally, the three reach a long, curving observatory hall. At first glance, the observatory seemed to be empty.
"This is it," Bastila says, almost eagerly. "The turbolift at the far end leads directly to the command center of the Starforge. Malak will be waiting for us there."
"I will take care of Malak myself. Neither of you are to interfere." Revan counters sharply. Canderous raises a brow, and Bastila appears aghast.
"You willl...? But, Lord Revan, Darth Malak is much more powerful than-" Bastila tries to argue, but stops when Revan waves a hand dismissively.
"Listen closely to me." Revan says with a calm urgency. He turns to his allies, and places a hand on Bastila's shoulder. "There is a great deal riding on not just Malak's death, but on this station. The Starforge must not be destroyed. For that, I need you two to stay out of my and Malak's battle."
"Can't say I'm happy to just leave you to face that slimeball by yourself." Canderous grunts. He heaves his carbine rifle onto his shoulder and shrugs. "But I guess if anyone can kill Malak, it's you, Revan."
"We've come far enough now. Bastila, I need you to use your Battle Meditation, turn the tide of the battle against the Republic fleet." Revan orders softly. "Canderous, I need you to guard her while she does so."
"Done." Canderous nods, furrowing his brow in acknowledgment of the command.
"There is a holoprojection room outside the command chamber, I can begin using my Battle Meditation from there." Bastila concedes. In unison, the three walk to, and enter, the turbolift Bastila had identified. It was, considering where they were, fairly uninteresting. The room is circular, and sitting in the center is a large holodevice. A blinking, jade-colored projection depicting the Star Forge itself, surrounded by hundreds of smaller blips moving about, greets the trio's eyes. Bastila steps forward, towards the projector. "This is it, Lord Revan. From here, I can-"
Before the fallen Jedi can finish, Bastila's body lurches in surprise as she is thrown bodily through the air backwards, slamming into the walkway at Revan's feet. The reborn Dark Lord kneels down to his lover, checking her for any wounds. Satisfied that she is unharmed with a nod from Bastila, Revan growls, baring his teeth and turns his attention back up towards the projector. Canderous heaves his carbine into a ready position as three hooded humans walk around the projector.
"What a fool you are, Bastila... For betraying Lord Malak, and twice the mistake for returning to the Star Forge!" one of the beings growls icily, his yellow eyes glaring at the young woman.
"A fool am I?" Bastila scoffs, standing with Revan, shooting a poisonous leer back at the man addressing her. "The only ones who can be considered fools are those who bow to Malak. Look, and see what stands before you; Darth Revan, the true Dark Lord of the Sith, has returned to reclaim his rightful throne!"
"Revan is nothing but a pale shell of his former self!" another hooded being grunts back, raising a fist threateningly. "Malak defeated him, and earned his title as the Dark Lord! And now, one of us shall become Lord Malak's new apprentice - by finishing what he started!"
A soft chuckling emits from Revan, who is gazing down at his feet. The chuckling grows into a full cackle as he raises his eyes to the ceiling, chilling the air. A sensation of dread, like palpable waves, wash over all others present, allies and enemies alike. Revan ceases his mirthless laughter, and peers down the bridge of his nose at the three Sith.
"Such audacity..." Revan hums, his voice deepened. Though his face is almost neutral, the sheer weight of his rising fury causes Bastila to take several slow steps away from her master. Revan inclines his head forward, his chin tilting down, and his eyes now leering from one Sith to the other. His gaunt, thin features become accentuated by the dim lights within the walkway floor, making his already sinister appearance ever more fearsome.
"Enough! I will kill him!" roars one of the Sith, charging forward, igniting a saberstaff as he bounds towards the trio.
Before Bastila and Canderous can act, Revan is already three long strides forward, his hands raised, and fingers curled. The Sith leaps in for the kill, only to be caught by the reborn Dark Lord in midair with the Force, and brought devastatingly hard down against the metal walkway. Revan throws his right hand to the left, and the stunned Sith's body is hurled against the far wall, his chest caving as he is smashed against a jutting corner. Reacting to the coming threat, the other two Sith quickly activate their lightsabers and fall into defensive stances.
Revan summons his own lightsaber to his raised right hand from his belt, igniting the violet blade with a loud hiss.
"Lord Revan-!" Bastila calls out to her lover, but is silenced with a short wave of his left hand.
In a blur of black and violet, Revan leaps at the two Sith. The two warriors separate, attempting to use flanking maneuvers to catch Revan off balance; but the enraged Revan proves to be quite capable of keeping up with both of them, step by step, blow for blow. Sparks fly as lightsabers clash, the floor juts and cracks under bursts of the Force. The two Sith are clearly masters in their own right, but Revan is greater still. Revan swings his lightsaber over and down, locking with the blade of one Sith. In a surprise move, Revan twists his wrist, causing the handle of his lightsaber to slam against the Sith's nose, audibly breaking it and forcing a surge of blood to spray down the warrior's chest and onto the floor. Taking the opening, Revan rams his left foot into the injured Sith's stomach, knocking the air out of his lungs and throwing the Sith to the floor as his compatriot attempts to take Revan's back.
But this only plays into the reborn Dark Lord's hand, and he spins on his heel, bringing his lightsaber around, catching the Sith off guard. The violet blade burns through the Sith in an instant; rending the surprised warrior in two from the left shoulder down to the right hip, killing him before ever hitting the hard floor. Slowly, deliberately, Revan turns back towards the injured Sith. For a brief moment, the Sith looks on with awe, but is quickly overwhelmed with fear. Scrambling to his feet, the Sith stumbles backwards, holding his lightsaber out with both hands, as if trying to ward off a Kath Hound with a flaming spear. A sudden SNAP-HISSSSS sounds behind the injured Sith, and a crimson blade erupts through his chest.
Sputtering in disbelief, the Sith shiveringly looks down at the burning blade of plasma. The blade retracts through the wound, and the Sith slumps to the floor, revealing a smug Bastila standing behind him. She spits on the corpse.
"Coward." she hisses. Her furrowed, furious eyes turn to Revan, and turn into a look of admiration. "My Lord."
"Well, that was fun to watch." Canderous grunts. "But we still have a job to do. Malak's all that's left; so let's get this done."
"Indeed." Darth Revan concurs with a nod, deactivating his lightsaber and clipping it back to his belt. His piercing eyes fall back onto Bastila. "You know the plan; use your Battle Meditation. Empower the Sith Armada, and weaken the Republic forces. Do not allow a single ship past the blockade."
"As you command, Lord Revan." Bastila replies, bowing her head.
"And I'll stick around here, and make sure no one screws things up." Canderous adds in. "Regardless of what happens, I'm honored to fight by your side, Revan."
The reborn Dark Lord offers a silent, respectful nod in reply before turning towards the large door opposite the one they entered. The hinges and gears of the door churn, opening the door and giving Revan passage. Without a further glance to his allies, Darth Revan steps past the threshold, and towards reclaiming his rightful place in the galaxy.
This... took far, far too long to write. I got halfway through a MONTH ago, and then suddenly got slammed with writer's block... I am SO glad I got over it! I really hope the next chapter doesn't take that long to write. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this "Page 2" of the first chapter of Star Wars - Fall of the Old Republic! More is on the way!